Colin Luca and Taylor Rogers win PGA Pro-Junior Invitational

An immaculate Great Neck Country Club, a fun Stableford format, and a chance to play with Connecticut Section PGA Professionals, all combined for a great day of golf at the PGA Pro-Junior Invitational.

Teams were comprised of one PGA professional with three junior golfers between the ages of 10-18. In both team and individual Stableford competitions, golfers earned one point for a bogey, two points for a par, four points for a birdie, and six points for an eagle.

Colin Luca, playing out of Glastonbury Hills Country Club, posted an impressive 36 points to win the Boys Division, his first victory of the 2015 summer season. Finishing in second place was Noah Peterson of East Longmeadow, Mass. with 35 points, followed by Andrew Edwards of Lyme, Conn. in third place with 30 points.

Taylor Rogers of Plainville, Conn. earned 25 points to win the Girls Division by two points over Nicole Demers of Avon, Conn. (23 points). Saige Avery of Middlefield, Conn. finished in third with 19 points. The Pro-Junior also marks Rogers’ first win of the 2015 summer season.

Kevin Shea of Great Neck Country Club posted 42 points to win the Professional division by six points over Ron Dellostritto of Wethersfield Country Club, and EJ Altobello of Tekoa Country Club, who tied with 36 points.

Stafford, Ensign, Garvin, DeRienzo and Kane victorious at the John D. Wardlaw Memorial Junior Open

NEWINGTON, Conn. (July 28, 2015) – If a deep, talented field and a testing Indian Hill Country Club weren’t challenge enough, contested also battled the searing heat and humidity at Tuesday’s John D. Wardlaw Memorial Junior Open.

Matthew Stafford of West Suffield, Conn. chipped-in on the 18th hole for birdie and a one-over par 73, securing a one-stroke victory in the Boys 16-18 division over Carter Swanson of Hebron, Conn. (74, +2). Jake Hedberg of Newington, Conn. finished in third place at 76 (+4). The John. D Wardlaw Memorial is Stafford’s second victory of the summer, having previously won the Fairview Farm Junior Classic.

Joseph Ensign of Rocky Hill, Conn. emerged from a tight race to capture the Boys 13-15 division, his first victory of the summer season. Ensign’s five-over par 77 was good for a one-stroke victory over Matthew Chorches of West Hartford, Conn. and Colby Norton of Harwinton, Conn. (78, +6). Finishing tied-fourth at 79 (+7) were Luke Carroll of West Hartford, Conn. and Connor Piecuch of East Longmeadow, Mass.

Angela Garvin posted a stellar two-over par 75 to capture the Girls 18-hole division by nine-strokes over Katherine Mullen of Burlington, Conn. (84, +11). Finishing in a tie for third were Sarah Houle of Sandy Hook, Conn. and Katelyn Jylkka of Portland, Conn. (88, +15). Garvin has now captured seven 2015 Junior TOUR events this summer.

In the 9-hole divisions, Michael DeRienzo of Southbury, Conn. posted an impressive one-over par 38 to win the Boys Division in a match of cards over Michael Walling of Newington, Conn. Tyler Flood of Southbury, Conn., Thomas Lynch of Glastonbury, Conn. and Bradley Sawka of Ellington, Conn. all finished tied for third at 43 (+6). In the Girls Division, McKenzie Kane of Berlin, Conn. finished with a solid score of 54 (+17), to win by nine-strokes over Leslie Li of West Hartford, Conn. (65). This is DeRienzo’s second victory of the summer season, and the first for Kane.

"I, we . . . have had our lives stopped,'' said Blosser, a resident of Meriden, Conn. "Everything changes on you.''

Blosser's life was detoured nine years ago, when knee replacement surgery led to an infection in his right leg. The end result - amputation of half of his right leg – first re-routed Blosser through Gaylord as a patient. Now he gives back.

"People have had their life stopped . . . and that's where I come in,'' said Blosser, a lifelong golfer who wears a prosthetic leg. "I'm certified to teach golf there, so I can run clinics for anybody with a disability. A lot of people will just watch at first. Then they'll see me hitting all these crazy shots and they'll ask, 'How can I do that?'

"To see their faces, when they get the ball in the air. You see someone who's had a stroke and lost something on their left side . . . then to still be able to enjoy golf. It can give them so much hope.''

All took center stage Monday when the Section held its sixth PGA Golf Foundation Charity Classic at Hartford Golf Club. The outing and dinner, with Club Car as its presenting sponsor, serves as the Golf Foundation's main fundraiser each year.

The Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, with primary objectives being to support youth golf programs and activities as well as helping fund community programs and initiatives that serve Special Olympians and physically-challenged golfers.

"This has been a Godsend,'' said Frank Selva, Foundation co-founder and president for 19 of its first 20 years. "You think about all the people who have been impacted by these efforts. The physically challenged, who are golfers then suddenly can’t do anything. This helps to give them a little hope.''

Blosser teed it up Monday with 131 others, who were treated to 18 holes amid seasonable summer conditions at the 1896 Donald Ross design.

"We have a group playing here . . . I'm with two guys who had strokes and someone who is blind,'' Blosser said. "It's great for these guys to have this chance to play and enjoy golf. It can mean so much to all of them.''

The Foundation event raised $44,000 last year, more than a third of its final annual total of approximately $155,000.

"Our No. 1 goal as a PGA professional is to grow the game,'' Hartford GC head professional and Golf Foundation president/treasurer Joe Connerton said. "We have a golf marathon here that this year raised $19,000 (for the Foundation). And the Foundation covers all ages and so many different organizations.''

"These two are great representatives of what our Junior Golf (Association) is all about,'' Connecticut Section PGA executive director Tom Hantke said.

Liu said the Junior Tour gave him his "first chance to play and compete and there is no way I would made is this far. Not without the great experience I had with the Junior Golf Tour. The junior golf program develops your golf game, but more importantly influences you as a person.''

CHARITY CLASSIC NOTES: Hartford Golf Club, host for the event for all six years, helps underwrite the expenses of the event. General manager Brian Higgins has played an instrumental role in the event's success and Connerton noted that "we've been blessed with the full support of the club and its board of directors.'' . . . Jim McDonald, head pro at Hickory Ridge GC in Amherst, brought along a foursome as part of his contribution to the Foundation. One of a handful of Section pros able to play Monday, McDonald serves on the Golf Foundation board. "I wanted to find a way to help, it makes you feel good,'' McDonald said. "And it's the people who play in the tournament that are the real asset.'' Hickory Ridge GC will host Massachusetts Special Olympics tournament Aug. 8-9. The program is a beneficiary of the Golf Foundation . . . PGA member Chris Martinez of Simsbury, Conn., is no longer affiliated with a Section club, but understands the Foundation's influence from a number of sides. "I work now for MW Financial Group, which helps sponsor this, and when I was (in the golf business), I saw first-hand what the Foundation does,'' said Martinez, who formerly worked at GC of Avon. "And I get to play today, at a great golf course. And it's a 'work day' for me. Does it get any better?'' . . . Bob Uskevich of Oxford, Conn., participated in support of Frank Selva, president of the Foundation for 19 of its 20 years. "Frank is the pro at Race Brook, where I've been for 43 years,'' Uskevich said. "I've had the chance to play four or five times and we're all pretty aware of what Frank's done and of what the Foundation does for golf.'' Four rounds and accommodations for a foursome at St. Andrew's was among prized items available at the post-round silent auction . . . Low gross team honors went to Bill Whaley, Dana Woods, Bob Whaley and Greg Brown with a 60.

Michael Bechard of Longmeadow, Mass. posted an impressive two-over par 73, on the converted Par 71 layout, to earn the Boys 13-15 title by three-strokes over Colby North of Harwinton, Conn. (73, +2). Jack Hogan of Westfield, Mass. and Tyler Hahn of Avon, Conn. finished in a tie for third at 78 (+7).

Continuing a great day for the Houle family, Sarah Houle of Sandy Hook, Conn. carded a nine-over par 80 to win the Girls 18-hole division by one-stroke over Angela Garvin of Feeding Hills, Mass. (81, +10). Rachel Bechard of Longmeadow, Mass. and Katherine Mullen of Burlington, Conn. tied for third place at 85 (+14).

In the 9-hole divisions, Michael DeRienzo of Southbury, Conn. posted a solid two-over par 38 to win the Boys Division by four-strokes over Cole Hahn of Avon, Conn. (42, +6). Bradley Sawka of Ellington, Conn. carded an eight-over par 44 to finish in third. In the Girls Division, Mia Hidalgo of Cheshire, Conn. finished with a solid score of 45 (+9), to win by nine-strokes over Sydney Hidalgo of Cheshire, Conn. (54).

The Torrington Winsted Rotary Junior Classic was the first victory of the summer season for Jake Avery, Michael Bechard, Sarah Houle, and Michael DeRienzo. This marks the fifth victory of the 2015 season for Mia Hidalgo.

It takes a golf foundation to promote, support and target the growth of the game for youth, special needs and physically-challenged golfers.

And the Connecticut Section PGA has it, in the form of its Golf Foundation. The tax-exempt nonprofit organization is operating as strong as ever as it turns 20 this year.

"It's about helping people improve their lives through golf . . . it's that simple,'' PGA Life Member Gary Reynolds said of the 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.

The Foundation's primary objectives have been the support of youth golf programs and activities as well as helping fund community programs and initiatives that serve Special Olympians and physically-challenged golfers.

"We believe that golf makes a difference in the lives of so many people,'' Reynolds said. "We see it every day at our jobs. We don't save lives, but we try to help create happiness.''

The financial challenges of such an endeavor are softened by the PGA Golf Foundation Charity Classic, the main fund-raiser for the Section's Golf Foundation. The golf tournament and dinner takes place Monday at Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford, Conn.

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (July 23, 2015) – Noah Peterson and Carrie-Ann Lee outlasted windy conditions and more than 120 competitors to post tournament record scores in winning the 2015 Cas Coscina Memorial Junior Invitational, a premier 36-hole event named in honor of Cas Coscina, father of Connecticut Section PGA Hall of Fame member Dennis Coscina.

Peterson, of East Longmeadow, Mass., posted rounds of 69-73 (142, E) to win the Boys Division by four-strokes over Philippe Morin of Canton, Conn. (74-72, 146, +4). After finishing Day One at two-under par, Peterson opened his second round with a birdie on the par 5 first hole, establishing a seven-stroke lead he would not relinquish, despite a late birdie run by Morin on eleven and twelve. Class of 2021 member Ben James captured an impressive third-place finish, posting rounds of 72-75 (147, +5). One-stroke behind James in a tie for fourth were Matthew Stafford of West Suffield, Conn. and Alexander Dahlem of South Glastonbury, Conn. (148, +6). The Cas Coscina Junior Invitational is Peterson’s third victory of the 2015 season, having previously won the Ryan Lee Junior Memorial Junior Open and the Ellington Ridge Camera Memorial.

Carrie-Ann Lee of Kent, Conn. captured her second victory of the summer in impressive fashion, posting consistent rounds of 73-75 (148, +6) in difficult breezy conditions, good for a nine-stroke victory over Angela Garvin of Feeding Hills, Mass. (81-76, 157, +15). Lee’s round contained three birdies, including both of the back nine par 3’s. Rounding out the top-three was Sydney Stengel of Morris, Conn., carding rounds of 81-85 (166, +24). Lee’s first victory of the season came at the Ryan Lee Memorial Junior Open, where Peterson also captured the title in the Boys Division.

The Junior TOUR season continues on Monday, July 27th, with the Torrington-Winsted Rotary Junior Open.